The People and Planet: from Theory to Solutions – towards Transformations conference is seeking for solutions that simultaneously improve the wellbeing of people and the planet. The conference is organized in Lahti, Finland, on 13th to 15th of February 2024. The program has just been published and registration has opened.

Planetary health refers to the interdependence between human well-being and the state of the environment. Three major crises of climate change, biodiversity loss, and the rise of certain diseases are interlinked and need to be tackled together. Additional challenges and possibilities are brought by megatrends such as digitalization and aging. Science-based systemic solutions are essential for a successful and sustainable transition.

The conference program has been designed to tackle the challenges across disciplines and sectors. The conference is welcoming researchers, specialists and physicians to address future leadership, city planning, sustainable consumption, mobility, and the possibilities technology can bring to sustainability and preventive healthcare.

“The solutions to big challenges often comprise of many small solutions. We need knowledge, but also the motivation to act. We are glad to see how many people recognize the importance of this topic, we received numerous submissions despite the brief call for abstracts”, said the conference coordinator Marju Prass from Lahti University Campus.

The presentations link environment and health, for example:

•     The senior research scientist Jenni Lehtimäki (Finnish Environment Institute) is investigating how the natural land cover in early life living environments associates with the risk of respiratory and neurological diseases, and, at which age exposure to natural land cover can provide protection against

these diseases.

•     The professor of environmental health Hans Orru (University of Tartu) explores what inequality in access to green spaces means in terms of premature deaths and external health costs to the society.
•     The project manager Liisa Vänttinen (University of Helsinki) presents systems-oriented research and data-based tools that help to improve the equality of physical activity environments.
•     Architect Ruth Gow (Bax & Company) will describe the process of Healthy Cities Generator that uses health as a planning tool, and the city as a tool for health.

The conference is arranged in Lahti, Finland, on 13-15.2.2024. Registrations have now opened for all participants.

People and Planet 2024 is organized by Lahti University Campus, the City of Lahti and the Wellbeing Services County of Päijät-Häme in connection to Nature Step to Health 2022-2032 initiative. Our partners are ICLEI Europe, Planetary Health Alliance Europe, University of Helsinki, Helsinki One Health HOH, Helsinki Institute of Sustainability Science HELSUS, Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare THL, Finnish Environment Institute SYKE and GoGreenRoutes.

Conference website: https://www.helsinki.fi/en/conferences/people-and-planet-2024

Email: peopleplanet-info@helsinki.fi